About Milky Oolong

Milky oolong or milk oolong, also known as jian xuan, is a style of oolong that has a milky aroma and a creamy and smooth quality, as if milk had been added. Milky oolongs are produced in both China and Taiwan, including in China in the Guangzhou(Quangzhou) region of Guangdong province.

Different sources provide conflicting information about milky oolong. The Upton Tea Quarterly says that the unique "milky aroma and creamy smoothness" are a result of special varietals[1], Hinas Tea claims there is a legend that it is a result of a temperature shift[2], Ten Ren claims the tea is scented with actual milk[3], and a tea blogger has claimed that the milky character is a result of artificial flavorings[4].

Tony Gebely explores these discrepancies in a post on his blog World of Tea, titled Unraveling the Mystery of Milk Oolong a bit more: Admari Teas. He quotes Adrienne Ann Etkin of Admari Teas, who explains that teas scented with steamed milk are used as a cheap alternative to the traditional production of milky oolong, which involve harvesting time and growing conditions. Gebely observes that the traditionally processed tea has superior flavor which is retained through as many as seven infusions. If you are concerned with how a particular tea marketed as "milky oolong" has been produced, it is important to research the particular tea you are buying and company you are buying from to verify how it has been produced.

Best Milky Oolong

The notion of the "best" Milky Oolong is subjective, because different people have different tastes. We present the most often-rated and highest-rated teas in this category, and allow you to draw your own conclusions.